Day: May 8, 2012

GMR offers to exempt Maldivian nationals from airport development charge

GMR has offered to exempt Maldivian nationals from paying the contentious Airport Development Charge (ADC), in a bid to end a legal and contractual stalemate that threatens to bankrupt the Maldives Airport Company Limited (MACL) and deprive the government of the majority of all airport revenue.

The Indian infrastructure giant signed a 25 year concession agreement with former President Mohamed Nasheed’s government to upgrade and manage Ibrahim Nasir International Airport (INIA). Under the concession agreement, a US$25 charge was to be levied on all outgoing passengers to part-fund the US$400 million upgrade.

However while in opposition the Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP), led by Dr Hassan Saeed, now President Dr Mohamed Waheed’s special advisor, filed a successful case in the Civil Court in December 2011 to block the payment of the charge, on the grounds that it was effectively a tax not approved by parliament.

Nasheed’s government had agreed to deduct the ADC from the concession fees payable by GMR while it sought to appeal to verdict. As a result, Dr Waheed’s government received only US$525,355 from the airport for the quarter, compared to the US$8.7 million it was expecting.

In a statement today, GMR said the government had “expressed a desire to exempt Maldivian citizens from the ADC”, as “the majority of Maldivians travel abroad for the purposes for healthcare and education.”

“The ADC was conceptualised and incorporated into the concession agreement by the government to yield a maximum return to the Maldives while ensuring development of the airport and a reasonable return to the successful bidder,” GMR stated.

“We are sensitive to the apprehensions expressed regarding ADC; and would like to assure all concerned that the management of GMR Male International Airport is doing everything possible by offering viable options to reduce the impact on the Maldivians, thereby helping the government for the ADC implementation.”

GMR presented the government with two options:

  • Option 1: No Maldivian passport holder will have to pay ADC. Every departing foreign passenger will pay an ADC of US$28.00; or
  • Option 2: Maldivians travelling to SAARC countries will not have to pay any ADC. Every Maldivian Passport holder departing to countries other than SAARC and every foreign passenger will pay an ADC of US$27.00.

No fee would be charged to either Maldivians or foreigners using the domestic terminal, the company noted.

In the statement, GMR noted that the government received US$33 million in 2011 from airport concession fees, “three times the money the government ever made in a year [from the airport] before privatisation.”

Following construction of the new terminal in 2015 – including “a state-of-the-art 600,000 square foot integrated Passenger Terminal and a 20,000 square foot VIP terminal, and various other airside and landside developments,” expected revenue from the airport to the government was expected to reach US$50 million per year, GMR observed, and almost US$100 million from 2021 as passenger numbers increased.

“In effect, GMIAL’s contribution to the government would be over US$2 billion over the concession period of 25 years, which will make a very significant contribution to the economy of the Maldives.”

President’s Office Spokesperson Abbas Adil Riza said the government had not yet officially received details of the offer, but said that such an offer would be evaluated by the Attorney General’s office “to see whether it is in line with the Financial Regulation Act.”

Attorney General Azima Shakoor was yesterday reported as expressing concern that settling the issue would be “quite difficult”, but vowed that “the government would settle the issue for the benefit of the country.”

On May 2 President Dr Mohamed Waheed told media at the inauguration of the Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation (CANSO): “I do not believe [the ADC] can be charged in the current situation because of the court’s decision.”

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Government to consult tourism industry on potential T-GST increase

The government will hold a consultation with the tourism industry this week to test its appetite for an increase in the Tourism-GST (TGST), Tourism Minister Ahmed Adheeb has said.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has urged the Maldives to increase the T-GST from six percent to 12 percent, among several measures the organisation says are urgently needed to offset the Maldives’ spiraling budget deficit, and avoid miring the country in poverty.

Parliament’s Finance Committee last week calculated that the budget deficit would reach 27 percent of GDP, on the back of plunging revenues and a 24 percent increase in government expenditure.

Adheeb told Minivan News that the government would present the IMF’s report to the industry, and discuss how to proceed: “We have to be realistic,” he said.

“The IMF has recommended an increase to 12 percent – we need to discuss what kind of increase the industry would like to see over the next five years,” he said.

Adheeb emphasised the need for stability rather than sporadic increases in the tax, cautioning against a sudden change in the T-GST which would affect those tour operators who make pricing agreements and publish brochures up to a year in advance.

However, Secretary General of the Maldives Association of Tourism Industry (MATI), Mohamed Ibrahim ‘Sim’, warned that the tourism industry was already under pressure from a decline in traditional markets.

“Is there an appetite [to increase the TGST]? No, not really. The European economy is not doing well and we would like the costs to remain the same – GST is something we have to pass to the customer. We need to maintain it, at least for the moment,” Ibrahim said.

One resort manager told Minivan News on condition of anonymity that such an increase would have “serious ramifications on many of the markets.”

“Some operators will not accept the increase mid-contract and hence resorts will have to absorb this from revenue,” he explained. “The additional costs will need to be balanced somewhere in the operation and you will find resorts have to [reduce] some of the nice touches for guests, [cut] staffing levels etcetera in order to deal with these ever growing expenses.”

The manager expressed exasperation that resorts were being asked to shoulder the burden without a parallel commitment from the government to reduce expenditure.

“We have seen an increase in some public services salaries and a reduction on working hours in many government departments who are meant to serve the resorts. Many of these government departments make it difficult for the resorts to do their jobs, with bureaucracy and rules to keep extra people in a job rather than making it easier to support the resorts in order to do their job: build more business, increase revenue and hence increase GST [revenue] in a positive manner. An increase in GST right now is the wrong solution.”

The government “needs to take a more supportive approach to the resorts”, he suggested, “whether it be processing visas, expediting customs waits or speeding up the immigration process for guest at the airport. A serious revision of the various government departments is required.”

According to figures from the Maldives Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA), the T-GST brought in 32.4 percent of all government revenue in April.

Total revenue collected in April was Rf2.5 billion (US$162.1 million) – almost double that collected in April last year – however MIRA’s figures do not take into account the substantial revenues lost from the phasing out of import duties, previously the Maldives’ main source of tax revenue.

Former government to blame?

Adheeb blamed the need for the increase on the former government’s changes to the calculation of land lease rents, which he claimed were responsible for an Rf540 million (US$35 million) shortfall overall after the new taxes were introduced.

MATI’s Ibrahim however contended that the changes to the fixed rents were offset by the new taxes: “Our calculation at the time these taxes were introduced were that overall it balances out, but that some resorts pay more.”

Recent changes introduced by the new government to the payment of lease extensions – from a lump sum to an annual basis – have also pulled US$135 million in revenue from the 2012 budget, the ousted Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) contends.

Economic indicators published by the Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) meanwhile show a fall in the number of tourist arrivals for March 2012 compared to the previous year, from 80,732 to 76,469. The number of bed nights fell 6.8 percent for the same period, one of only a few recorded declines since the 2004 tsunami. February – a month of high political turmoil and widespread negative international media coverage – recorded a 2.5 percent decline.

An increase in prices would affect established markets already under strain, Ibrahim reiterated.

“It’s hard to say if emerging markets would be put off – China, Russia and the Middle East – maybe not. But [price increases] are affecting the established market. The market situation is not looking good at the moment.”

A survey of nearly 3000 tourists last year reported that 46 percent believed accommodation in the Maldives was too expensive. Soft drinks, alcohol were rated as expensive by 42 percent, while food, water and souvenirs received a similar rating from 41 percent of tourists polled.

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Nasheed launches campaign for MDP presidential primaries

Ousted President Mohamed Nasheed launched his campaign for the Maldivian Democratic Party’s (MDP) presidential primary, on the island of Magoodhoo in Faafu Atoll on Sunday.

Nasheed alleges he was deposed in a coup d’état on February 7 and has called for early elections within 2012. The Commonwealth and the EU have supported the call. However, new President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan has said the earliest constitutionally-permitted date for elections was July 2013.

The MDP presidential primary is to be held on June 15. Nasheed is presently the MDP’s sole candidate, but has to win 10 percent of votes in order to gain the MDP candidacy.

Speaking to Magoodhoo residents, Nasheed emphasised the importance of an elected government claiming the chances of a 2013 election were slim if an election could not be held in 2012.

“When a government is elected through a vote, it fosters a close relationship between the people and their leaders. Such a government will benefit the people, it will fulfill the needs of the people. Because the government originates from the people,” Nasheed said.

“No earthly power, not even that of the police or military, can equal the power of the people. When an individual finds courage in another, and the people come out to enforce their will, no one can challenge that will. Not even the police, the military or judges,” he added.

President Waheed’s administration was established by force, Nasheed claimed, and was prioritising the approval of the police and military over that of service delivery.

“The current administration will prioritise getting the approval of the police and military. The government treasury, the government’s expenditure, will not be spent on the people. They will have to end Aasandha, dismiss the utility companies, abolish the health corporations. They will have to stop the transport network,” he said.

President Waheed has repealed many of Nasheed’s policies, including the abolition of regional health and utility corporations, reviewing the free universal healthcare scheme Aasandha, ending the second chance program for rehabilitation of inmates, and halting all public-private-partnership development projects claiming the contracts’ legality needed to be reviewed.

The coalition of political parties backing Waheed have accused Nasheed of corruption in the awarding of development contracts.

Waheed had also decided to accept resort islands’ lease extension payments in installments rather than upfront at the end of the lease. The MDP has alleged the move will immediately take US$135 million out of state coffers.

“They did not make any promises, hence, they have no way to fulfill promises,” Nasheed said regarding Waheed’s policies.

Nasheed campaigned on a platform of development, pledging to continue installing water and sewerage systems, development of harbors and improving education, utility and health services at island level through public-private-partnerships.

The policy would “award an island for resort development to companies who develop water and sewerage system in an inhabited island,” Nasheed said.

“I cannot understand why we should hoard Maldives’ resources when Maldivian citizens do not get the services they need. Magoodhoo does not have a proper sewerage system or potable water. Magoodhoo does not have a harbor. But Magoodhoo has two to three islands in its lagoon. I do not understand why we let these islands be left untouched for Valla [sea bird] to lay eggs on in the belief they are invaluable natural resources,” he added.

The MDP administration had allocated 150 islands to lease out to companies on the condition of carrying out development work in the atolls of the Maldives.

Nasheed urged all MDP members to vote in the party’s primary.

“I assure you I will not take undue benefits from your vote. I pledge to fulfill the party’s promises to you. I assure you I will not steal a single laari of your money,” Nasheed said.

“We have a vision, a picture, a hope, a dream, a thought to change this island. MDP knows what must be done to gain development,” he added.

During his visit, Nasheed also visited the islands of Kudhahuvadhoo, Meedhoo, Bilehdhoo and Feeali. He lay foundations for MDP offices in Meedhoo and Biledhoo.

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Police recover electronics stolen from Irin Enterprises offices

Police have recovered a laptop and other electronic items stolen from Irin Enterprises Office and returned them to the owner.

Police said the items were discovered inside the house of a minor, already in police custody, following a police search of his house.

The minor was arrested on April 23 for alleged involvement in a different case, police said.

A police investigation revealed that another minor involved in the robbery of Irin Enterprises was also in police custody, arrested in connection with a different case on April 25.

According to statistics released to the media by the Home Ministry’s Juvenile Justice Unit, 155 offences committed by minors have been filed this year.

Most of the cases involving male juveniles were related to drugs, theft, sex, assault and vandalism, while most of the cases concerning females related to alcohol, creating unrest in an unlawful gathering, and theft, according to the Juvenile Justice Unit.

The unit also noted that 68 percent of minors who committed felonies are children who do not attend to school. The most number of crimes were committed by children between the ages of 16-18.

Factors leading to the involvement of children in criminal activities included the “negative influence of the media”, adults luring them into a criminal environment, and having parents who were criminals, the report noted. and

According to police statistics for the month of May, 58 cases of theft, five cases of robbery, five cases of assault and 18 cases of drugs have been reported.

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All-party talks will not resume until EC decision reached

All Party Roadmap Talks will not continue until the Elections Commission (EC) has completed its investigations into a dispute over leadership of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), local media has  reported.

The secretariat of Ahmed Mujuthaba, who is mediating the all-party discussions, has said that talks were expected to reconvene after the EC makes a decision over the legitimacy of a vote to remove the MDP President and Vice-President, Haveeru reported.

The latest round of all party talks, scheduled for last Saturday, were aborted after parties aligned with the government refused to recognise the legitimacy of the MDP representatives in attendance.

Dhivehi Rayithunge Party (DRP) Deputy Leader Ibrahim Shareef said last week that the DRP was waiting for the EC to make a decision on the legality of the MDP’s current leadership, as well as its authority to appoint representatives to the all party talks.

“[The representatives] must be properly endorsed by the party. Somebody with the authority to nominate the representative of the party, such as the president or vice president,” he said at the time.  Shareef also noted that the DRP was “unhappily” not present during Saturday’s talks.

Dr Ibrahim Didi was removed from his position as President of the MDP, as was the Vice President Alhan Fahmy, after the party’s national council voted unanimously in support of motions of no-confidence brought against them on April 30.

Two days later, Dr Didi presented an official complaint to the EC, arguing that the procedure used to remove him from power was against the rules of the version of the MDP constitution that is legally registered at the EC.

The EC announced on Sunday that it would take a further ten days to reach a decision on the MDP case, Haveeru reports.

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Service inequalities plague thalassaemia sufferers

Eighteen years ago when Aishath Hassan got pregnant with her third child, little did she know of how her life was about to be completely changed. Six months after the birth of her daughter, Aishath became extremely concerned about the worsening health conditions of her baby.

Worried, she took the baby to a doctor, where she heard the word “Thalassaemia” for the first time.

“The doctor told me my daughter was thalassaemic. Till that day, I did not know what it was or how it had happened. But from that day onwards, my life completely changed,” Aishath, now 45, recollected.

With almost 18 percent of the population registered as carriers, Maldives has the world’s highest incidence of the crippling genetic blood disorder. For those like Aishath’s daughter with Beta Thalassaemia Major, the disease causes severe anaemia and requires lifelong blood transfusions and treatment.

“Screening for thalassaemia, as well as treatment of thalassaemics, is costly but at the moment it’s free in the Maldives. Thalassaemic children require continuous and regular care and treatment to stay alive,” wrote Dr Ibrahim Mustafa, PhD in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, an important contributor of thalassaemia projects in his blog in January 2012.

“They require monthly transfusions and treatment with the drug Desferrioxamine, injected five times a week. The annual cost of treatment exceeds US$6,000. At present only, Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT) ensures permanent cure for Thalassaemics. But the cost of this treatment ranks between US$30,000 and US$50,000. Due to the low income of average people, this costly treatment BMT cannot be afforded by many families,” he noted.

Currently, 535 patients with thalassaemia major are registered and receive regular blood transfusions at the National Thalassaemia Center (NTC) in the capital Male’. Aishath’s daughter is among them.

The pair visit the centre every two weeks, despite the costly and exhausting four-hour journey from their home island of Thodoo in Alif Alif Atoll.

“It is very tiring and every trip nearly cost nearly Rf3000 as travelling and accommodation prices. We don’t have any other choice,” Aisthath noted.

“On the islands, sometimes blood and medicines such as Desferal (a drug used to moderate iron in the blood of transfused patients) is not available while vital medical treatments charge money. But once we came [to the NTC]almost everything is free. Blood is guaranteed. All services and medicines are available,” she further explained.

Inequalities and financial burdens

The inequalities in the services available to the thalassamia patients in Male’ and    on other islands was noted as a key problem in the statement released by  Maldivian Thalassaemia Society (MTS) on the occasion of World Thalassaemia  Day, marked on May 8.

While the world marks thalassaemia day with the motto “Patients Rights Revisited”, MTS contended that today authorities have “largely neglected” the rights of thalassaemia patients who face numerous challenges to stay alive, especially those in small inhabited islands of the Maldives.

The statement read: “We see huge inequalities in the provision of medical treatments and services to thalassaemia patients living in the islands and services available from the centre established by the government in Male.”

Even though the government has arranged for blood transfusions on the islands, MTS says that for various reasons the service and necessary medications are unavailable, forcing patients to bear high costs of travelling to other nearby islands or to the capital in order to get blood transfusions, without which they will die.

Meanwhile, Program Manager of the Maldives Thalassaemia Society, Imaan Mohamed, noted that the organisation was receiving numerous complaints regarding problems receiving services under the national health insurance scheme, Aasandha.

“We have received several complaints from thalassaemia patients and their parents that hospitals and health centres are charging for medical treatments, including blood transfusions, because they have reached the outpatient coverage limit. But, we were  informed during the scheme’s inception that thalassaemia patients would not have the Rf10,000 limit allocated for outpatient services,” Imaan explained.

“So we are discussing with relevant authorities about how to solve this problem, but we have not received a good response,” she added.

Aishath meanwhile called for authorities to make mandatory blood donor tests and other associated treatments free.

“Around Rf1000 is required to test a blood donor,” she said. “That money is deducted from their Aashandha account or we have to pay the donor. So it will be a huge relief if the tests are available for free,” she noted.

The Aasandha Office was not responding at time of press.

“More awareness”

With contributions from the government and NGOs across the country, thalassaemia awareness increased dramatically after 1992 and the word became a household name.

The intitiatives included the Thalassaemia Prevention Program, comprising health education, population screening and genetic counseling  by the Society for Health Education (SHE), while in 1993 the National Thalassaemia Program was  formulated and in December 1994 the National Thalassaemia Centre  inaugurated with a 17 bed ward, blood bank facilities and a diagnostic laboratory service.

Of those screened for thalassemia in 1999, 21.9 percent were carriers, while this rate fell to 18.3 percent in the same period while the number of new thalasaemia cases decreased by almost 50 percent from 43 in 1999, to 24 in 2003.

However, Imaan from the Maldives Thalassaemia Society warned that with “no existing comprehensive national  program” to address thalassaemia in the Maldives, the success rates may not be maintained in the future.

“In the past five years, 30 new cases of thalassaemica  have been registered while earlier statistics show that the figure was lower,” Imaan observed.

She noted that the Health Ministry’s National Thalassaemia Program, which ended in 2006, included important elements such as population screening, thalassaemia education, prenatal diagnosis and medical termination of pregnancies of foetuses with thalassemia major.

“It is very upsetting that we don’t have a national program now. People need these services and more awareness programs need to be conducted for prevention of Thalassaemia,” Imaan concluded.

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High Court rules against keeping Muheeth murder suspect under house arrest

The High Court has overturned a previous Juvenile Court ruling to keep the main suspect in the murder of Abdul Muheeth under house arrest, declaring that the minor should be detained in accordance with the Home Ministry.

The High Court said yesterday that it had been notified by the Prosecutor General (PG’s) Office that the original Juvenile Court decision had not properly considered the present charges against the suspect or his criminal record.

In overruling the Juvenile Court, the High Court said the minor might become a threat to the society if detained under house arrest.

The PG also claimed during the High Court ruling that the Juvenile Court had not properly considered that the suspect, who is a minor, might influence the trial’s witnesses should he be released from police detention.

It was noted yesterday that the Juvenile Court has issued five warrants related to the case, with the most recent requesting that the suspect be put under house arrest.

The four previous warrants issued requested the suspect be kept in a place determined by the Home Ministry over concerns he might influence witnesses should he be released from detention.

The High Court said that when keeping a suspect in detention, the presiding judge in the case is required to refer to several different factors, such as the crime involved and the challenges faced in investigating the offence.

Other factors a judge needed to consider were the number of persons involved in the crime, the nature of the crime, the penalty for the crime, the probability that the accused might flee and the probability of influencing witnesses.

The High Court stated that the suspect had a criminal record with five previous offences.  The court said that these cases included involvement in an unlawful gathering whilst in possession of a violent weapon, a charge of assault using a violent weapon and one case of terrorism. In considering the suspect’s record, the High Court said it could be believed he might be a threat to the society if released from detention.

The PG requested the High Court to keep the minor in pre-trial detention until the court reaches a verdict on the case.  However, the High Court said the police had earlier requested the Juvenile Court grant an extension of detention for 15 days and it could only refer to police requests made at that time.

Muheeth, of G. Veyru, was stabbed to death near the Finance Ministry building on February 19.  Five suspects were arrested in connection with the case.

Police Inspector Abdulla Satheeh has previously told local media that the investigation into Muheeth’s death showed that the victim had not been involved in gang related crimes and this was not being considered a motive for the attack.  Satheeh added that the victim had no police record and was working in a responsible job at the time.

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‘Mosquito Lady’ and local community combine to deter unwanted guests on Kuda Huraa

Pest control consultant Trudy Rilling-Collins, better known as the ‘Mosquito Lady’ has been working closely with Four Seasons Kuda Huraa resort and the local community of neighbouring Boda Huraa to introduce sustainable and environmentally friendly mosquito control procedures.

As the South-West monsoon season reaches the Maldives, wetter weather will bring rain to replenish the water tanks that provide safe drinking water for the people of the islands. But it is not just the human population who will be glad to see the clouds rolling overhead.

The increased rainfall is also particularly appealing to the country’s mosquito population, which will take full advantage of any available water in which they can lay their eggs. Any stagnant body of water will be most appreciated by Aedes aegypti and her cousin Aedes albopictus, the mosquito species that carry the dengue virus which has been afflicting Maldivians in increasing numbers in recent years.

Aedes aegypti will utilise any water available in which to lay her eggs. She will live for only one month, but in that time her larvae will take full advantage of any accommodating bucket, well, puddle, blocked drain or water tank.

She will sustain herself during this period by feeding exclusively on human blood, unlike her cousin who will happily feed off any red-blooded creature.

Aedes aegypti is a particular fan of mid-market tourism, preferring to find accommodation in close proximity to the local community. Eager to ingratiate herself with her human food supply, she can visit up to five people per blood meal, potentially passing the dengue virus to all she acquaints herself with.

She will be able to lay four lots of eggs in her lifetime which is more than long enough to see her young grow into fully grown biting adults, a process that takes only one week.

Fully booked

One place where Aedes aegypti and her kin will not receive a hospitable welcome this year, however, is on the resort island of Kuda Huraa in North Male’ Atoll and the inhabited island of Bodu Huraa next door.

The resort has this year enlisted the help of Trudy Rilling-Collins, otherwise known as ‘Mosquito Lady’, to ensure that its hospitality extends only to the human guests.

Trudy runs her own consultancy, specialising in environmentally responsible pest control, and has been working closely with Four Seasons Kuda Huraa and the Bodu Huraa community to ensure that there are no vacancies for dengue spreading visitors.

The resort on Kuda Huraa and the local community share a symbiotic relationship. The resort provides around 13 percent of the registered population in Bodu Huraa with jobs and has provided vital infrastructure to the local population.

The town’s sewerage system was provided by Four Seasons and the company has even assisted in providing fresh water to Bodu Huraa during the current dry season.

This close relationship is not lost on the mosquitos, who can easily travel the short distance between the islands, to feed happily from tourists and locals alike.

Trudy studied the biological control of insects and became disillusioned with the extensive use of harmful pesticides in what she sees as often futile attempts to control pests.

The use of pesticides in a diesel fuel carrier, referred to as fogging, is widely practised in the Maldives and throughout the tropical regions, although Four Seasons Kuda Huraa, which also pays for mosquito control in the two islands, has not fogged since Trudy’s arrival in April.

“The neurotoxins present in pesticides used for fogging on the islands have the same effects on humans that they have on the insects, it just takes far higher doses to affect humans,” said Trudy.

“Fogging kills only a small percentage of adults, five to ten percent if you’re lucky, and over time results in increased resistance,” she added.

Trudy believes that the key to mosquito control lies in making the area inhospitable to the pests: “80-90 percent of the problem can be sorted by eliminating standing water where mosquitoes breed.”

The effects of these chemicals are also harmful to the local environment, a particular concern for SEAMARC, a Maldivian an environmental consultancy that works closely with Four Seasons.

Alban Viaud, a marine biologist on Kuda Huraa, explained that the fogging chemicals which are quickly washed into the ocean are harmful to marine health: “Only a few parts per million can kill fish.”

Trudy has been working closely with the resort, the local council, schools and the community to implement a sustainable, effective and environmentally friendly way to keep mosquito numbers down.

Strength in numbers

After having visited the islands, there is a strong understanding emerging that, rather than chemicals, it is the community that is the strongest weapon in making Aedes aegypti feel unwelcome.

Measures have been taken to clear breeding grounds during Trudy’s time on Bodu Huraa. She has worked with the islanders to identify and eliminate as many breeding grounds as possible.

Of particular concern were the islands old septic tanks, long since replaced by the sewerage system supplied by the resort, but still capable of retaining water through gaps in the paving slabs. After water collects in such areas, Aedes aegypti is sure to follow.

Covering these gaps with concrete eliminates the tanks as another potential holiday home for the mosquitoes.

A similar, and innovative, method to prevent mosquitoes checking in to household water tanks was in full swing when Minivan News visited Boda Huraa.

Ringed hoses, filled with sand were being constructed in order to secure a fine mesh over the top of the water tanks, allowing access to rainwater but not to mosquitoes.

In the shade of the local council building, three resort employees could be found steadily working on the project. With around 250 tanks on the island, the team had a long way to go but seemed enthusiastic.

One of the men working on the rings was resort employee Rafeeq, who has been assigned the vital task of checking, sampling and clearing potential breeding areas. The job will require four hours of Rafeeq’s time every day, for six days every week.

The town’s households have been surveyed and divided into eight zones, meaning that each house should be checked three times in each one month cycle.

Around the corner, another simple and sustainable method was being used for removing larvae from water supplies. Fish are a far more welcome guest in the ground wells. No room service is required as they feed largely off any larvae they can find in water, which the townsfolk no longer use for drinking. One type of fish often found in the wells can eat up to 40 mosquitoes in three minutes.

Community action

“Energy and action are key components  the success of this project. I try to push for simple sustainable solutions,” said Trudy.

“But it takes someone on the ground to create action,” she added.

A vital part of her mission in Bodu Huraa has been to raise awareness and create enthusiasm for the eradication scheme. This has involved numerous presentations given to all sections of the community, from the employees at the resort to the children in the local school.

Shafyga Arif, the island’s Community Health Officer noted that there had been a big reduction in the mosquito population since the scheme had begun.

She also noted that the community would be important in keeping numbers low, with leaders appointed within each of the project’s eight zones. “They have to do it themselves. Each person should take responsibility. People had some previous awareness but didn’t care before,” said Shafyga, who has herself pledged nine hours of her working week to the project.

Back at the council building, the Island’s Council President Abdel Rahman Saleh explained that a local task force comprising fifty members of the local community had been formed to work on the scheme.

The task force members are working on a volunteer basis as there is no space in the council’s current budget for the scheme. Saleh said that he had requested more funds for such projects for next year.

“The task force will work. The government requested that we continue the project for twelve weeks, but we intend to continue it forever,” he added.

The appreciation of the health and environmental benefits of these sustainable methods appeared to be widespread as Trudy neared the end of her time on the islands.

Of equal importance was the realisation that the fight against the mosquitoes will only be as strong as its weakest link, and that the resort, the local government and the community must continue to patrol and eradicate potential breeding sites.

With the entire community working together and remaining vigilant, it is hoped that Kuda Huraa and Bodu Huraa will be receiving poor reviews from Aedes aegypti for the foreseeable future.

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